OFFICER JONES BEEN CHECKING YOUR CV JONES LAD THERE ARE A FEW QUERIES AND POINTS TO BE CLEARED UP BEFORE YOU START YOUR LATEST JOURNEY. RHAYADER AND CWMDAUDDWR WERE FAMOUS FOR WELSH WATER THAT’S RIGHT BUT YOU FORGOT THE IMPORTANT BIT ABOUT MA AND DA JONES WHO IN1939 CREATED YOU AND MADE YOU SOMETHING ELSE GOOD TO COME OUT OF WALES. YOU ALSO MISSED OUT THE BIT ABOUT YOUR ANGLING./FISHING CAREER, BEFORE YOUR POLICE DAYS, WHEN ONE WEEKEND THE BOYS OF RHAYADER, LED BY A PERSON UNKNOWN, DECIDED TO DO A BIT OF NIGHT POACHING HAVING NO IDEA THAT THE LAW KNEW ABOUT THE PLAN RESULTING IN MAYHEM. ONE ARREST AND A FEW GETTING AWAY – YOU BEING ONE OF THEM OF COURSE. DAD WHISKED YOU OFF TO BIRMINGHAM (WORKING) BECAUSE YOUR VARIOUS BODY SCRATCHES WOULD HAVE LED YOU TO HAVE BEEN HELPING THE POLICE WITH THEIR ENQUIRIES LATER. THE ONE PAL OF YOURS DID HAVE A FINE BUT WITH YOUR USUAL WAY OF ALWAYS HELPING OTHERS YOU HELPED PAY THE FINE. YOU LATER DECIDED TO MEND YOUR WAYS AND CROSSED FROM THE LAND OF SONG TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER WITH WEST MERCIA. MARKET DRAYTON WAS WAITING FOR YOU ALONG WITH THE USUAL LOVELY YOUNG LADIES OF SHROPSHIRE WHO CAUGHT THAT SPARKLING EYE OF YOURS. PARTICULARLY THE ONE WHO YOU FOUND IN A CAR ONE NIGHT WITH A MALE FRIEND, BOTH IN NIGHT ATTIRE, YOU THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR TOOK YOUR TIME GETTING ALL THE DETAILS AND READ THE COUPLE THE RIOT ACT. THEN AGAIN WITH SO LOVABLE A WISH TO HELP OTHERS YOU SAW THE YOUNG LADY HOME EMBARRASSED BUT SAFE. SOME TIME LATER WHEN SHE WAS MAKING HERSELF OVER CONSPICUOUS YOU REMINDED HER, WITH THAT WICKED SENSE OF HUMOUR YOU HAVE, THAT YOU WERE WELL AWARE OF THE LOCATION OF HER BIRTH MARK. WELL DONE OFFICER JONES, EXCELLENT OBSERVATION SO YOU WENT ON ALWAYS HELPING OTHERS AND WITH DIGNITY CARRYING OUT YOUR DUTY WITH POSTINGS TO SHREWSBURY, WELLINGTON, STOURPORT, KIDDERMINSTER, TRAFFIC, WORCESTER CITY, MALVERN, PERSHORE. YOU ALWAYS COPPERED WELL WITH A WORD HERE AND THERE TO MANY A YOUTH OR THE HEAVY HAND AND THE CUFFS WHEN NEEDED AND ALWAYS THAT HUMOUR AND LENDING A HAND. QUITE A FEW OF THE OLD CROWD ARE HERE, I HOPE, APPROVING MY LETTER AND THEY COULD, WITH ME, WRITE FOR HOURS ABOUT THE JONES LAD. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE, WITH YOU AND OTHERS, CREATE A TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT SECOND TO NONE. ALL THOSE POLICE STATIONS ON WHEELS AND ALL THOSE WONDERFUL MATES, THE CREWS. WE WERE A TRUE BAND OF BROTHERS. BROTHERS INDEED – HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO GET ALL THOSE CHRISTMAS TREES TO LADS AND FAMILIES WHO WERE A BIT STRAPPED AT THE FESTIVE TIME (ALL LEGAL OF COURSE) – GOOD VEHICLES RANGE ROVERS! HOW DID YOU MANAGE THE CHRISTMAS MEALS FOR ALL ON DUTY CHRISTMAS NIGHT EVEN THOUGH ONE YEAR THE NAAFI WAGON FOR THE NIGHT WAS DIRECTED TO AN URGENT ‘999’ AND THE CAR ENDED UP QUITE FULL OF CHRISTMAS CHEER! YES AND HOW DID YOU CARRY OUT YOUR DUTY TO ME AND THE POLICE SERVICE WHEN AND WHEREVER THE CHIPS WERE DOWN WITH SKILL AND QUIET DELIBERATION WITH HUMOUR ALL THE TIME? THE CHIEF GOT THE MESSAGE, AT LAST, AND PROMOTED YOU TWICE. YOUR OLD FRIENDS, POLICE AND PUBLIC, RECALL YOUR GOOD OLD FASHIONED WAY OF POLICING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE LADY YOU FOUND IN HER OVERTURNED CAR WITH A MALE COMPANION JUST OFF THE STRIP. YOU TOOK CHARGE, KEPT CALMING HER DOWN. SHE WAS STUCK IN THE CAR BUT NOT HURT. ALONG CAME THE FIRE SERVICE, CUT OFF THE ROOF – SHE WAS HYSTERICAL AND STILL YOU REMAINED CALM. EVEN WHEN SHE WAS OUT OF THE CAR AND UTTERED THE IMMORTAL WORDS “IT’S MY HUSBAND’S CAR”. I’LL NEVER FORGET YOUR CLASSIC REPLY TO THIS DISTRAUGHT LADY – “NO PROBLEM LOVE, THEY WORK WONDERS WITH WELDING GUNS THESE DAYS”. YOUR OBLIGATION TO SENIOR OFFICERS WAS NOT BAD EITHER. YOU AND I HAVE OFTEN OBSERVED THE FAIRER SEX DURING SUMMER MONTHS, WELL THAT’S OBSERVATION, ISN’T IT? AS MANY A YOUNG OFFICER DID, MAY BE THEY STILL DO. EACH SUMMER WE HAD A SPATE OF SLIGHT DAMAGE TO POLICE PATROL CARS AND, OF COURSE, YOU HAD THE BRUNT OF THE TASK TO INVESTIGATE THESE INCIDENTS. YOU CAME BACK WITH THE USUAL NEAT REPORT WHICH STATED THAT THE ACCIDENTS HAD BEEN CAUSED BY VARIOUS BLACK ANIMALS RUNNING ACROSS THE ROADS. I’VE NEVER TOLD YOU THAT A SENIOR OFFICER SENT FOR ME AND SAID HE DOUBTED THE FINDINGS OF SGT. JONES’ REPORT AND WANTED ME TO CHECK IT OVER. HE REALLY WANTED A SCAPEGOAT – WELL HE WAS ON TO A LOSER AS YOU AND I NEVER PUT AN OFFICER ON A CHARGE DID WE? AND THERE’S NO WAY THAT WYN JONES WAS GOING TO TAKE THE RAP. YOU WILL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT I TOLD THE SENIOR COMMANDER I WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY STRAY BLACK ANIMALS BUT AT THE TIMES OF THE VARIOUS ACCIDENTS THE PATROL DRIVERS COULD HAVE HAD THEIR FORWARD VISIONS IMPAIRED DUE TO THE UNUSUAL HIGH PRESENCE OF YOUNG LADIES IN SUMMER DRESS. I WAS TAKING A LEAF OUT OF THE JONES THE HUMOUR BOOK. HE ACCEPTED THE REPORT WHY, THEN BACK TO YOU ON THE SERIOUS SIDE. ANOTHER YOUNG LADY YOU HAD BEEN FOLLOWING IN HER CAR ON YOUR WAY BACK TO WALES ON HOLIDAY. YOU LOST SIGHT OF HER AND YOU WERE, AS ALWAYS, ON THE BALL. INSTINCT TOLD YOU SHE WAS IN TROUBLE, YOU TURNED YOUR CAR ROUND, FOUND SHE HAD GONE WELL OFF THE ROAD AND, AS ALWAYS HELPING OTHERS, SORTED HER AND HER CAR OUT AND JUST WENT ON YOUR WAY. AND DON’T EVER FORGET, THEY WON’T, ALL THE YOUNG LADS YOU PUT RIGHT AT THE NOW DEFUNCT ATTENDANCE CENTRES EVERY SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN YOUR OWN TIME. WHATEVER JOB YOU TOOK ON THERE WAS ALWAYS THAT JONES HALLMARK – A WILLINGNESS TO HELP OTHERS, JUST GREAT. I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS WYN BUT I HAD BETTER LET YOU GET ON WITH SORTING THE ANGELS OUT. YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT ANGELS OLD MATE, YOU CHOSE CAROLE AND THE PAIR OF YOU MADE CLARE AND YOUR CONCERN JUST RECENTLY FOR THEM BEARS TESTIMONY TO THE MAN, THE JONES LAD. YOU CAN’T GO WRONG. YOU BORE YOUR CROSS WITH DIGNITY AND HUMOUR AND, BOY DID YOU CAUSE A LAUGH WITH THE NURSES WHEN ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEEDED AND, YES, YOU ASKED FOR THE WELL KNOWN PILL THAT REACHES PARTS THAT OTHER PILLS CANNOT. THANKS FOR THE FUN AND GOLDEN MEMORIES. MY WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE FOR KNOWING YOU. HAVE A SAFE JOURNEY. MAY THE ROADS RISE TO MEET YOU. MAY THE WIND BE ALWAYS AT YOUR BACK MAY THE SUN SHINE WARM UPON YOUR FACE THE RAINS FALL SOFT UPON YOUR FIELDS AND UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN MAY GOD HOLD YOU IN THE HOLLOW OF HIS HAND JONES LAD, I STARTED MY LETTER IN WALES SO TAKE THESE LAND OF SONGS WITH YOU. O YESSEE MAOOR ROAR DAN YAN BEER EE I-THEEL GWARN MEWN ANN YAL DEER EW NAIRTHEE DREW ‘R HOLL ROOSTRY SEETH ARE THE REECE DITHE EER GAN ANN VREE GOD BLESS. BRIAN.